Sweet Protection launched the Arbitrator mountain bike helmet this spring in a limited run, and it promptly sold out.
Why? Because for $300, this helmet is so dialed that it functions as a certified full-face helmet and transitions to a well-ventilated trail riding helmet within seconds. I recently traveled to the brand’s Norway headquarters in Trysil to learn more about the brand and this revolutionary new helmet.

The Sweet Protection Arbitrator is slick. Rip downhill courses with a full-face, fully certified 980g (in M/L) helmet. Then, snap off the stout face cover to reveal a breezy 550g trail helmet to pedal uphill for enduro events. Or just wear the trail helmet as a daily rider and throw on the facemask for days in the downhill park.
This “one helmet for most rides” was the mission of Norway-based Sweet Protection. And from the looks of the model, the brand hit the helmet on the head — but it wasn’t easy.

I sat down and spoke with designer Ståle Norman Møller, director of design and development at Sweet Protection. He explained that the Arbitrator is the most complex engineering puzzle in the brand’s 20-year history.
Of the 87 parts in the new Sweet Protection Arbitrator helmet, the brand produces every one, except for a single screw, in-house. The helmet has tolerances as fine as 0.02 mm, and everything has to be certified across multiple standards and countries.
Sweet Protection Arbitrator MIPS Helmet
The Arbitrator starts with a four-piece shell with a Zytel frame. A carbon fiber chin guard adds strength in critical areas. I tried to crush the ring-shaped chin guard’s carbon fiber inlay in my hands, and it barely budged.
